Type-writing machine.



H. A. FOOTHORAP.

TYPE WBlTlNG MACHINE.

APPUcATloN man nic,le,1s14.

Patented Deo. 2", 1917. 1 SHEET-b-SHEET n.

WNJU,

H mwzlluler...

H. A. FOUTI'IORAP.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I6. I9I4.

1 ,251,36 1. Patented Da. 25, 1917'.

YSHEETS-SHEET 2- H. A. FOOTHUHAP.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man 056.16. |914.

1,251,361, Patented Dee. 25,1917.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

H. A. FOOTHORAP.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. Is. I9I4.

PaIenIed Deo. 25,1917.

SHEETS-SHEET 4.

JAPPLICATION FILED DEC. I6, I9I4.

Patented Dee. 25,"1912 7 SHEETS-SHEET 5- I my H. A. FOOTHORAP.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 16 1914.

Pamed Deo.' 25,1917

7 SHEETS-SHEET 6 Wig/A25 X f @www H. A. FOOTHORAP.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLlcArloN FILED DEc.1. 1914.

1 ,25 1 3 6 1 Patented Dec. 25, 1917.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

UNITED STATES PATE-NT oFFroE.

HARRY ARTHUR FOOTHORAP, F HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO ELLIOT'I'-FISI-IER COMPANY, 0F HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANILVA CORPORA- TION OF DELAWARE.

TYPE-warmste MACHINE.

Patented Dec. 25, 191 '7.

Application led December 16, 1914. Serial No. 877,579.

To all wLom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY ARTHUR FooTHonar, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Harrisburg, in the county of.

Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented .certain new and useful Improvements in Type-Nriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to typewriting machines of that class which is characterized by a fiat platen and downwardly acting printference of the parts resulting from reboundA or other causes.

4Another object 'of the invention is to secure accelerated movement of the type bar during the printing stroke, correspondingly quick return movement of the bar after the printing impact and automatic locking of the bar against rebound in a printing mechanism adapted for use in what is known as a visible writing 0r open segment machine of the class under consideration.

Another object of the invention is to 'so construct the printing mechanism of the specified character that, while the type bars and the operating connections thereof are arranged in substantially semi-circular or open segment formation, the kev levers may be provided with a common fulcrum bar.

Still another object of the invention is to divide the printing mechanism into a series of assemblage units capable of separate grouping or assemblage as units and of being quickly, conveniently and accurately vconnected Vup with the other units for economy of manufacture, assemblage and repair.

Subordinate features of the invention reside in the construction and arrangement of the mounting of the various elements and in the character and arrangement of the coni nections between the type bars and the keys.

To the accomplishment'of the recited 0b.

jects and others which will more fully appear hereinafter, the invention resides in the construction and arrangement of parts to be presently described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a vertical section through the carriage, frame and platen of'an -Elliott- Fisher Billing Machine equipped with printing mechanism constructed in 'accordance with my invention but certain of the parts and portions of others being omitted to avoid confusion. f

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a type bar hanger ring with certain of the type bar hangers in place and others omitted.

Fig. 3 is, a bottom plan view of the subject matte'r of Fig. 2. y

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the arrangement and relation of the sub-levers and type bars and the method 0I grouping the levers on the deck.

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the key levers andthe relation of the push bar connections. y

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale of a pair of type bars and their mountings and the ,majorL portions of their operative connections, one of the bars being shown in the printing position butbroken away and the other being shown in normal posi-V tion.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of an upper type bar hanger.

Fig. 8- is a similar view of a. lower type bar hanger.

Fig. 9 is a detail view of one of the'push rods.

Fig. 10 is bar and its mounting.

Fig. 11 isa detail perspective of the rotatable bushing of the fulcrum bar.

Fig. 12 isa detail view of the fulcrum bar, with its middle portionl broken awav, and

Fig. 13 is a perspective View of the machine with portions of the line space frame.

and platen broken away.

The machine under considerationl embodies a fiat platen 1 for the work element or sheet and tracks or guides 2 .disposed longitudinallv of the platento support the movable machine frame 3, sometimes called a line space frame.

Mounted to travel 011l the frame Bin a dila detail section ofthe fulcrum -1 Iso rection transverse to the platen orf lengthwise of the line of writing is a carriage 4 preferably mounted on front and rear rolls 5 and G and having guide rollers 7, two of which are shown in Fig. 1. It is on the carriage 4- that the printing mechanism is mounted and it may obviously be advanced for line spacing by the advance of the frame 3 or fed step by step for letter spacing by the movement of the parriage across the frame. i

The three primary elements ofthe carriage 4 are the type bar hanger ring` 8, which, for brevity, will be called the type ring, the Sublever supporting deck 9, to be referred to as the deck, and the casing 1G, the upper part of which is in the form of a cover plate 11.

At its front, the-deckt) is supported by the carriage corner posts to which the journals 13 of the front rollers 5 are attached and these posts extend downwardly to a plane above the top of the frame 3 to support the type ring S which 1s located comparatively close to the platen. TheA ring 8 is of arcuate or segmental shape, as shown in Fig. 2, and its rear portion is supported by a pair of type ring posts 14 attached to the deck 9. The rear carriage rolls 6 are located immediately below the deck having journals 15 carried by brackets 16 secured to the under side of the deck, as shown 1n Fig. 1. By reference to Fig. 4, it will be seen that the deck 9 is in the form of a rectangular plate which may be and probably is of aluminum and cut out to give its front edge a segmental or arcuate formation substantially corresponding to that of the type ring 8 but of slightly greater diameter than the inner edge of said ring in order that the ring may extend slightly nearer the axis of the are or segment, which defines the pr1nting point of the machine. (See Fig. 4.)

That portion of the carriage lying below the deck and between the corner posts 1'2 1s free and unobstructed and as the type ring is of open segment form, the printing point is fully exposed to the view of the operator and this freedom of vision is Afurther enhanced by the open formation of the front of the deck and the arched form ofthe front plate 10f1 of the carriage casing.

Generally speaking, the type ring 8 is designed to support in compact assemblage, the type bar hangers, type bars and buffer ring. The deck is designed to support the sub-lever system constituting part of the operating connections between the keys and type bars and the carriage casing, or a sin-` gle fulcrum bar located therein, serves to support a system of ke)T levers.

In order to assemble the requisite number of type bars in the comparatively small space allotted to their mounting and at the same time to secure wide bearings conducive to general stability and the maintenance of proper alinement, it is necessary to mount the bars in staggered relation. To attain this end and at the same time avoid such crowding of the parts as will interfere with rapid assemblage and repair, the type bar hangers are divided into two sets or Series mounted respectively on the upper and under sides of the type ring 8, as best shown in Fig. GL The lower hangers 17 have the form of plates bent to approximate tl-shape, disposed horizontally and having their eX- tremities bent upwardly to form bearing lugs 18 having apertures 19 for the reception ot' the journals Q0 of the type bars 21. rlhe bearing ends of the hangers 17 are flared somewhat, as shown in Fig. 8, to accommodate the hubs Q2 of the bars. Below the lugs 18. the sides of the hanger are connected and held rigidly in proper relation by a holt 23 and somewhat nearer the outer end of the hanger is interposed a spacer 24. The lower hangers are secured to the under side of the type ring 8 by headed screws 25 passed upwardly through the double end of the hanger and threaded into suitable openings 26 formed in the ring 8 adjacent to its inner edge and equi-distantly spaced apart. Interposed between the head of the screw Q5 and the hanger is a washer plate 27, each of these plates being o suliieient length to serve three hangers, as shown in Fig. 3.

The second set or series of hangers, known as the upper type bar hangers 28, are as-l sembled on the upper side of the type ring 8 and are arranged in alternation with the lower hangers 17. These upper hangers 28 are constructed in a manner similar to the hangers 17 but are of slightly different design, being somewhat longer and their ends being bent downwardly instead of upwardly to form bearing lugs Q9 for the outside set or series of type bars 30. The lugs 29 are formed with openings 31 forthe journals 32 of the type bars 30 and the ends of the lugs are connected by a bolt 33 similar in .function to the bolt Q3 of the lower hangers. Also the upper hangers are provided with spacers 31 corresponding to the spacers 24 of the hangers 17. The securing bolts 35 for the upper hangers are passed upwardly through openings 3G in the type ring and, after passingthrough the double ends of the upper hangers. are screwed into nut plates 37 each of which spans three bolts 'and constitutes what is in effect a nut common to al] of them.

The described arrangement of the securing devices for the upper and lower sets or series of hangers locates the 4heads of both sets of securing bolts below the type ring so that when the carriage is tilted to give aor cess to its under side, all the bolts are accessible to facilitate both assembling and repair.

The described arrangement et the upper available. l,

andl lower hangers disposes them in alternation, as alreafdy stated, and locates the axes of the innerl and-outer sets ol type bars in nearly the same horizontal plane and in two concentric arcuate series ot ditlerent radius. Thus a'inple room is atl'orded for each type bar bearing but the type bars, nevertheless are grouped in `exceedingly close formation so ,that acon'iparatively large number can be mounted in the limited space In I `ig.'2,`the relation of the type bar lhangers will be clearly seen. At the left hand end of the type ring, three lower hangers and the adjacent upper hangers are shown in plan view. i\'ext,.1 have shown several upper hangers with the lower hangers omitted and further alongr are shown four lower hangers with the upper hangers omitted. It will be noted that the lower hangers, by reason of the expanded form ot their inner ends, approach each other closely and afford wide bearings for the bars. rl`he same thing is true of the upper bearings but when we consider the relation ot the upper and lower bearings, we find that the coniparatively narrow spaces between the bear! ings of one set come directly opposite'the medial lines of the hangers of the other set, the close spacing being thus made possible because the intervals left between the hangers of one set need only. be sutlicient to accommodate the comparatively thin type bars of the other set.

iVe have now described the' mounting of the type bars on the Vtype ring and it is next in order to consider the operating connections which, as'alr'eady stated, are largely supportedl from the deck 9. Suspended from the deck 9 and adjacent to its inner edge is a series of bifurcated bell crank hangers 38 in each of which is fulcrumed a bell crankL lever 39 of the third class connected at its lower end to a turn buckle 40 threaded upon a draw wire 4l, the lower end of which is formed with a hook 42 which engages an opening in the tail piece 43 with which each type bar is provided. At a point' intermediate ol" and in angular relation with the fulcrum 3l a of the bell crank 39, and the connection 40 of said bell crank with the draw wire 41, said bell crank is connected as at 44u to the lower end .of what is known as the upper draw wire 4liiormed with hooks at its opposite ends for engagement with fthe bell crank 39 and tbei'ront end of tial relationto the arcuate series of upper draw wires, that it becomes necessary to give these levers a `generally convergent relation toward the Ii'ront in order that their rar ends may be properly disposed l'or connection to the equi-distantlyI spaced key levers, hereafter referred to. llven this expedient, however, is not adequate to properly dispose the sulrlevers at the side, for connection with the upper draw wires and the key level-S, without danger of interference. It becomes' 'turtlier necessary to impart an inward curve in varying degree to the front ends of these side levers, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, and to mount alternate levers in ,lillerent horizontal planes. Thus, as will'be seen in Fig. 1, four ot' the sub-levers at'each side of the series are provided with elevated i'ulcruin posts which elevate these levers sulliciently above the adjacent; levers to avoid possible interference. For convenience, the elevated le# vers may be designated by 45 and their fuleriun posts 4G". The rear ends of the sublevers 4.5 are connected to the hooked lower key 10%15 51 ll'l'alged in a horizontal bank' or series in the upper portion of the carriage casing 10.- The entire series of levers 51 are swung from a single `fulcrum bar 52 mounted inrotatable bushings 53 in the sides of the carriage casing and held against endwise movement by locking screw The key levers 51 have biturcated rear ends defined by open bearings 56 substantially conforming to the diameter of the fulerum bar 52 and the opening or throat 57 of the bearin; being somewhat restricted to con'- iorin to the minor diameter .oli the fulcrum bar which, shown in Fig. 1, is ilattened on opposite sides. By turning` the i'ulcrlun bar 52 so that its ilat. sides will be disposed horizontally, the hey levers may be readily slipped thereon andthen locked by the simple act of turning the lulerum bar to present its major diameter perpendicular to the throat 57. immediately above the Ylulcrum bar 52 the levers are spaced and guided by a combplate 58 having a flange 5t) which serves as ay fixed point of attachment for the upper ends o'lE .the key lever reti-acting springs (30. A similar comb plate (il serves to guide the l'ront ends ot the key levers.

rl`he upper ends of the type bars when in normal position rest against a leather or other suitable butl'er (S2 carried by a butler ring G3 oi tubular form, bent to produce an arcuate rest for the type bars and to provide supporting posts 64 spread somewhat, as shown in Fig. 4, and havingr their lower ends secured to the front ends of the type ring. The bulfer ring is supported at its rear side by a rear buler ring post 65 screwed to the ring to the type ring, as shown in Figs. l and 4t. The lower end of the post 65 is deflected in order to remove it from interfering relation with the type bar hangers and adjacent parts. Conforming to the outei` side of the buifer and secured thereto by screws, as shown in Fig, 4, is a spring plate 66 provided with apertures for the attachment of type bar retracting springs 67,

the lower ends of which are secured to type.

bar spring yokes 68 pivotally connected to the type bars adjacent to their lower ends:

The foregoing constitutes a full description of the construction of that part of the machine with which the present application is concerned and particular attention is now directed to the operation of the type action. Obviously depression of one of the keys 5l2l at the front ends of the key levers 51 will swing a sub-lever 45 through the intermedi-` ate push rod 49. As the front end of the sublever rises a bell crank lever 89 will be swung through the medium of the upper draw wire 44 and will in turn elevate the tail piece of a key lever through the medium of the lower draw `wire atl. In this way the type bar will be swung down to the printing point from which it `will quickly revert to normal position under the retractile force of the springs 60 and 67 as soon as pressure on the key is relieved.

It will be noted that the printingstroke of the type bar is accomplished by an accelerated movement thereof. This is due to the fact that the fulcrum, resistance and power` points of the levers 33 are disposed in such angular formation that the leverage exerted upon the type bar by its operating connections will be greatest at the beginning of the stroke and gradually diminished, the result being the slow but easy start of the type bar and accelerated movement thereof as it approaches the printing point. Thus the greatest leverage is exerted while the inertia of the parts is being. overcome and as the leverage decreases the effect of such `passes through the horizontal arc.

`movement continues, however, the connecL decrease, so far as increased resistance to the finger of the Voperator is concerned, is offset by the momentum of the type bar. This acceleration is due to the fact that during the initial movement of the parts, the connection 44 of the lever 39 will move through a vertical arc while the connection 40 will move throught a more nearly horizontal are. The movement imparted to the lever 39 is lengthwise of the vertical arc while the movement transmitted to the tail piece of the type bar is only equivalent to the vertical rise of the connection 40 as it As the tion 40 begins to traverse a more nearly vertical arc while the connection 44a continues its substantially vertical movement. Thus, after the initial movement of the parts, the' variation between the movement imparted to the lever 39 and the movement transmitted to the tail piece of the type bar is decreased and the speed of the type bar is relatively increased. Thus, in consequence of this relation of the connections, a very light touch is secured and a quick, snappy movementis imparted to the type bar. In addition to the light touch and snappy action of the bar, the described arrangement of the operating connections has another useful function. It entirely eliminates any material rebound of the type bar after retraction, which rebound might otherwise result in interference between two iinmediately adjacent hars operated in quick succession. This locking against rebound results from the fact that in the normal position of the type bar, the connection 40a is substantially in line with the fulcrum 391 and the connection between the lower draw wire and the tail piece of the type bai'.

Therefore, when the bar returns, its re-l bound is prevented by the rigid abutment formed by the lower draw wire 4l and the lever 39. This abutment, however, is of the general nature of a toggle and, while re sisting the'endwise thrust caused by any tendency of the bar to rebound, is readily broken or operated in a sidewise direction when pressure is exerted on the key.

It is thought that fiointhe foregoing, the construction and operation of the described embodiment of my invention will be clearly understood, but l wish distinctly to reserve the right to effect such changes, modications or variations of the illustrated structure as may fall fairly within the scope of the protection prayed.

What I claim is l 1. In a typewriter, the combination with a type ring and a radially disposed series of normally vertical type bars carried thereby and having typeheads, of a deck located in a horizontal plane below the type heads, a series of key levers disposed in a plane above the type bars and having` a common axis of movement at their rear ends, and

operating connections betweenl the key le defining a key board at t-he front of the machine and over the type basket and having a common axis of movement at their rear ends, a series of sub-levers carried by the deck and connections between the key levers and the sub-levers and between the sub-levers and the type bars.

3. In a typewriter, the combination with a typev basket. comprising a type ring and a forwardly opening arcuate series of nor inally vertical, radially disposed type bars, of a. deck located above the type ring, sublevers mounted on the deck and all extending in the same general direction, to wit, from front to rear of the machine, operating connections between the front ends of the sub-levers and the several type bars, a series of key levers mounted abovethe sublevers and swung from a common axis and connections between the rear ends of the sub-levers and the key levers.

4. In a typewriter, the combinationwvith a forwardly opening segmental series of radially disposed normally vertical type bars forming a type segment or basket, of sub-levers corresponding in numberto the type bars and having their front ends ar ranged in a series substantially conforming to thecurvature of the type segment, all of. said levers extending toward the rear of the machine and certainv of said levers being in crossing relation to eaci other, a series of key levers each operatively connected to a sub-lever and connections between the sublevers and the type bars.

5. In a typewriter, the combination with a forwardly 'opening segmental series of radially disposed, normally vertical type bars, of sub-levers extending from'front to rear of the typewriter and having their front endsdisposed in a segmental series substantially conforming to the type segment, certain of the sub-levers at opposite ends of the series i being mounted in different horizontal planes to prevent interference, a series of key leversl mounted to swing from a common fulcrum at the rear side of the machine and suitable connections between the two sets of levers and between the sub-levers and the type bars. I

G. In a typewriter, the combination with a forwardly opening segmental series of radially disposed, normally vertical type bars, of a deck located in a horizontal plane below the upper ends of the type bars, a series of sub-levers mounted on the deck and extended rearwardly from the type segment, levers at the opposite sides of the type segment having their front ends deflected t0- ward the type segment and alternate-.levers at the sides of the segment being mounted in a higher plane than the adjacent levers and bearing a crossing relation thereto, key levers located in a plane above the sub-levers and mounted to 'swing from a common axis at the real` ends of the key levers and suit- 'depemling able connections between the key levers and the sub-levers and between the sub-levers and the type bars.

7.*In a typewriter, the combination with a forwardly opening segmental series of radially disposed, normally vertical type bars,

of a deck, a series of key levers above the type bars and operating connections between the key levers and type bars, said connections including levers supported by the deck and mounted both above and below the same.

8. In a typewriter, the combination witl a forwardly opening segmental series of radially disposed, normally vertical type bars, of a type ring supporting Said bars, a series of key levers above the bars, a deck intera forwardly opening segmental series of radiallydisposed, normally vertical type bars, of a'type ring supporting said bars, a deck, a series of key levers mounted above the bars and swung' from a eonnnon axis, a series of radially disposed bell crank levers carried -by the deck, draw wires comiccting the bell crank levers with the type'bars, said draw wires being in substantial alinement with the fulcrums of the bell crank levers in the normal position 0f the type bars to lock said type bars against rebound, a series of sublevers also mounted on the deck and all extended from front to rear of th'e typewriter, connections between the sub-levers and the bell crank levers and other connections between the sub-levers and the key levers.

10. In a typewriter, the combination with an arcuate series of normally vertical type bars each having a tail piece, of a deck located in a plane above the tail pieces, an arcuate series of radially disposed hangers from the front edge of the deck, bell crank leversl mounted in the hangers, a draw wire connecting each bell crank lever with a tail piece and assuming a locking` relation to the fulcrum of the bell crank lever to prevent rebound of the type bar from normal position, fulerum pests mounted on the deck at points removed from the front edge thereof, sub-levers fulcrumed in the posts and extended from front to rear 0f the machine, upper draw wires conectine the front ends of the sub-levers to the bell crank levers, a 'series of parallel key levers fulcrumed on a common axis at their rear ends and push rods connecting the key levres with the sub-levers.

11. In a typewriter, the combination with a type hanger supporting ring, ot' upper and lower series ot' type hangers secured to the upper and lower sides of the ring in staggered relation, the bearing ends of adjacent .iangers being deflected in opposite directions to dispose theA type arm bearings in substantially the same horizontal plane and in the plane ot the type ring.

l2. In a typewriter, the combination with a type hanger supportingring, of upper and lower series of radially disposed type hangers secured at their outer ends to the upper and lower sides of the type ring in staggered relation, the inner or bearing ends of each hanger being deflected toward the opposite' side ot' the ring to bring all the type arm bearings in substantially the same horizontal plane and the inner end ot' each hanger bc- 2o ing llared or widened beyond the sides of the two adjacent hangers.

13. In a typewriter, the combination with la type ring, a deck located above the same and having a segmental opening substantially conforming to the type ring, type bars carried by the type ring and extended above Vthe deck, a carriage casing mounted above the deck and key levers mounted in the carriage casing and operatively connected to the type bars, the front wall of the carriage easing being arched across the front of the deck opening to expose the printing point to the View of the operator.

14. In a typewriter, the combination with a forwardly opening segmental type ring, of a forwardly opening segmental series ol type ,bars carried by the ring, a deck supported vabove the type ring and having its front edge of forwardly opening segmental form,

a carriage casingmounted above the deck and having a vertical front wall in the form of a horizontal arch spanning the front side of the arcuate opening in the deck to permit the printino' point to be plainly viewed from a point rIiove and in advance of the deck, and means mounted in the carriage casing for operating the type bars.

15. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a series ot key levers having open bearings with constricted throats and a common fulcrum bar for said levers, said bar having a major diameter substantially corresponding to the diameter ol the bearings anda minor diameter substantially correspondingy to that ol the const ricted throat, rotatable bushings for the fulcruin bar and means for locking the bar against endwise movement.

1,6. -In a typewriter, the combination with a type ring, a deck located above the same and having a segmental opening and a butler ring above the deck, of type bars mounted on the type ring and extended above the deck to engage the buffer ring, a series of key levers located above the type bars, and operating connections between the type bars and key levers and carried in 'part by the deck,

17. In a typewriter, the combination with a forwardly opening segmental series of type X0 bars, of a deck, a series of sub-levers mount-` ed on the t ick and extending from front to rear of the n'laehine, alternate levers at the sides of the segment being mounted in a higher plane than the adjacent levers, and b wiring a crossing relation thereto, key 1evers located in a plane above the sub-levers and mounted to swing from a common axis at the rear ends ot' the key levers, and suitable connections between the key levers and the sub-levers and between the sub-levers and the type bars.

18. In a typewriter, the combination with a forwardly opening segmental series of type bars, of a deck, a series of sub-levers mounted on the deck and extending from front to rear ot the machine, alternate levers at the sides ol the segment being mounted in a higher plane than the adjacent levers, and bearing a crossing relation thereto, key levers located in plane above the sub-levers', and suitable connections between the key levers and -the sub-levers and between the sub-levers and the type bars.

19. In a typewriter, the combination with a type ring and a yradially disposed series of normally vertical' type bars carried thereby and having typeheads, ot a deck located in a horizontal plane below the type heads, a series ot' key levers disposed in a plane 100 above the type bars and having a common axis ofinovement at their rear ends, and operatirg connections between the key levers and the type bars, said operating connectie'ls Aincluding sub-levers mounted on 1.05 the deck both above and below the same.

In testimony whereof I atiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY Alt'lllUltl llO'lllOlt/ll. Witnesses IV.. J. Evnn'r, EDWIN FLorn. 

